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Indian-origin worker killed in Maryland crash

The two deaths in under 72 hours have heightened concern about safety conditions for highway workers across the state.

Representative image / Pexels

An Indian-origin highway worker was killed in Maryland after a crash on a work site on April 28, state police said, marking the second such death in less than three days.

Dipakkumar Patel, 70, of Delmar, was killed shortly before 12:40 p.m. on northbound U.S. 13 at King Miller Road in Princess Anne, according to Maryland State Police. Patel was inside a marked Maryland Department of Transportation vehicle while working on a highway maintenance project when another driver struck the rear of his car, investigators said.

First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller addressed the deaths in a post on X, writing: “Heartbreaking. Two Maryland road workers killed, Robert Dempsey and Dipak Kumar Patel.” She added, “We fought to pass the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act but laws only work if we do.” She urged drivers to “Honor their memory; slow down, put the phone away.”

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The crash occurred days after another highway worker, Robert W. Dempsey, was killed April 25 on the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, less than 24 hours after the state concluded Work Zone Safety Week.

That earlier death prompted reactions from union leaders and renewed calls for motorists to slow down and follow Maryland’s Move Over law. A second fatal crash within 72 hours has intensified concerns about the risks faced by highway workers.

State police identified the driver who struck Patel as Amanda Correa, 31, of Salisbury. She and a passenger were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not disclosed.

Authorities said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Northbound lanes of U.S. 13 near Revels Neck Road were closed as emergency crews responded and investigators examined the scene.

The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the investigation. Findings will be reviewed by the Somerset County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Discover more at New India Abroad.

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